


au revoir

by alltears



Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Angst, Fighting, Fluff, Gay Dennis, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Phone Calls & Telephones, dennis mean. mac nice. boys forgive.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-02 17:23:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21165347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alltears/pseuds/alltears
Summary: dennis says he’s leaving. mac knows better. things finally change.





	au revoir

**Author's Note:**

> based on ‘au revoir’ by the front bottoms.

Dennis didn’t care about Mac,  obviously.

Mac made him his shakes. Mac made him take his pills. Mac got the mail, changed his sheets, dusted his records, bought the groceries, massaged his tired muscles, forced him to eat, loved him, and loved him, and loved him.

It made life easier for Dennis, so he could focus on being his best self.

Mac was clingy and desperate at his worst. Dennis was needy, furious, and destructive. Therefore, Dennis liked to remind Mac that he could abandon him at any second - that Mac was never going to get anything nearly as good as Dennis so long as he lived.

He did it for the power. 

(Dee says he does it to reassure himself that  Mac  won’t leave  him .)

(She’s wrong.)

She’s wrong.

—

Mac woke from a restless sleep to the muffled shuffling that came from his living room. Most nights for Mac these days consisted of hanging out with Charlie and Frank at the bar or at some random club with Dee. The previous night was the latter, resulting in him getting in past 4AM, covered in glitter, hickeys, and the stench of alcohol. 

Mac vaguely recalled bumping into Dennis on his path to his bedroom. Dennis doesn’t seem to sleep much anymore.

Groggily, Mac rose from the comfort of his blanket and stumbled into the living room. The lights were blinding, and he squinted at the scene unfolding in front of him. Dennis was shoveling T-shirts, blankets, and photos (including one of him and Mac, grinning at the camera cheesily, the day Dennis went to college. It was Mac’s favorite) into a large suitcase. His hair was done, his makeup was on, and he was wearing his nicest skinny jeans

Dennis looked good.

(Mac always told him he did, even when he didn’t.)

“Dennis?” He jerked his head up from when he was bent over his piled belongings with wide eyes, like he forgot he had a roommate. “What’s goin’ on?”

Dennis frowned and straightened himself.

“Mac,” he cleared his throat. “I’m leaving.”

No, he wasn’t leaving. It’s all a part of a dance Dennis has meticulously planned.

“What?” Not mad, not desperate, simply... confused. Dennis pressed on, performance ready.

“I know this is sad for you, but I wanted to tell you before I’m gone. So... Au revoir,” Dennis laughed, a stupid, cocky smile on his face that probably hit Mac like poison. 

But...

Mac said nothing, just stared. And stared. He glanced around, presumably at the missing artifacts of their relationship, and went right back to staring at him. 

(Dennis was expecting crying, begging, whining. Not this.)

“Oh, you-“ Dennis laughed again in an attempt to recover. “I bet you don’t even know what that means. It means-“

“It’s French,” Mac sighed. “I know what it means.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t think-“

“You know, you don’t have to be such a dick to me.”

That shut Dennis up. His mouth snapped closed, and his eyes went wide again as if Mac had just slapped him. This isn’t the plan.  This isn’t the plan.

“I’m just saying, I do a lot for you. And you think I’m nothing,” Mac paused, waiting for Dennis to respond. Nothing came. “God. You’re an asshole. Why do I even...” 

“So, you’re-you’re not mad?” Dennis faltered, then stepped closer to Mac.

“Whatever, man. I’m going back to bed.”

“No, Mac!” Panicking, Dennis grabbed his arm before he could turn away. “I’m not kidding, dude. I can’t live with you anymore. I’m-I’m going to stay with Dee until I get my old place.”

Mac crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

“I really will leave!”

“Okay.”

“Okay,” Dennis started. “Okay, well. Okay.”

“Okay? See you around, dude,” Dennis hesitantly released his grip and Mac turned to his door. His hand rested on the knob but paused, and for a moment, Dennis thought he had won. A triumphant smirk slowly spread across Mac’s face before he faced Dennis again, hand still waiting to free him from the conversation. 

“Adios.”

“...Bro, I-“

“Before you ask - I know what it means.”

Mac creaked open the door, entered his room, and closed the door again.

Dennis felt his face heat, his stomach turn. As he is one to do, Dennis fled.

—

DIALING: CHARLIE KELLY

(00:00)  Hello? Charlie?

(00:13)  Den? Why are you... Dude, it’s like, 3 in the morning! You’re gonna wake up Frank!

(00:31)  I don’t care, dude, I’m freaking out.

(00:47)  Sad or mad?

(01:00)  ...I don’t know. Fuck, I-I don’t know!

(01:16)  Okay, Dennis, calm down. Where’s Mac?

(01:29)  Fucking - Asleep, I don’t know!

(01:38)  Wake him up and talk to him. You know he’s good at this shit.

(01:52)  I-I can’t, it’s... Charlie, he doesn’t care.

(02:03)  Good one.

(02:10)  I’m not fucking - he doesn’t care, Charlie, and I don’t - I don’t...

(02:27)  Jesus, dude, take a breath. Is this a gay thing with you and Mac? ‘Cause I love you guys, but I can’t listen to it anymore.

(02:54)  I’m not  fucking  gay!

(03:02)  Shit, alright, you’re - No, it’s Dennis - I... Dennis, you woke Frank up and now he’s making me sleep in the sink. Thanks a lot, dude.

(03:30)  Charlie, wait-

CALL ENDED.

—

Mac woke up to Dennis in the kitchen, making toast.

Dennis didn’t say a word, but he made a piece for Mac, too, with peanut butter. The way he likes, even though Dennis says it’s just sugar. He hadn’t done that since... Mac couldn’t even remember. But it was familiar.

After chewing and avoiding eye contact even as their knees brushes under the table for 10 minutes, Mac cleared his throat.

“You’re here.”

“Yeah.”

“And your stuff’s back,” Mac glanced at the framed photo of them, back in its place by the TV.

“Yeah.”

God, Mac was pissed at him. Pissed he almost left, pissed he stayed... Mac could never be pissed enough at him to not care when Dennis was obviously hurting.

(Mac could tell because he missed a shirt button.)

“You promised you’d come to me if you were sad.”

“I’m always sad, Mac.”

“I know you are.”

A heavy silence fell again.

Mac hated when Dennis cried. It was rare, saved only for moments of great stress or great joy. He supposed Dennis cried when he was mad, too; hurling things, screaming until his throat was raw, and sobbing so hard that he would collapse to his knees and Mac would cradle him on the floor, even though Dennis just called him horrible things.

_Love_.

“I’m...” Dennis’ bottom lip wobbled and his breath hitched. “Why didn’t you care? That I was leaving?”

Mac considered this. “I didn’t think you were leaving, I guess. But, also, like, it’s hard being around you all the time. I love you, Dennis,” Mac pushed through, ignoring the way Dennis flinched at his words. “and I think that might be the hardest thing in the world.”

“Then leave.”

“No.”

A whimper escaped Dennis’ lips and he pushed the heels of his hands into his eyes. “Why?”

“Because I love you, man.”

“ Why? ”

“ Because - Because,” Mac huffed. “‘Cause we’re Mac and Dennis. ‘Cause you knew I was gay before anyone else, and ‘cause you know everything I like, and you listen to me, even when you don’t like what I’m saying. And when you correct me on my grammar or whatever, it’s not in a mean way. Usually. Because I know, deep down, you love me, too, because it’s been 20 years and you’re still here. Dennis, it’s always going to be  us \- at least for me.”

Dennis wasn’t crying anymore, but his eyes were still wet. He was gaping up at Mac in that honest, heartbreaking way he rarely does, like when Mac gave him the RPG. 

Mac’s scared he’s gonna leave, just like last time.

“Dennis, you’re too old to keep running away from yourself.”

Dennis blinks at him, then relaxes down in his seat.

He’s not running.

Still, he doesn’t speak, so Mac does what he does best and waits, sipping at his coffee.

It doesn’t feel real, but it happens, and Mac can see it and feel it.

Dennis reaches across the table, takes Mac’s hand, laces their fingers, and  _squeezes_.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed! find me on twitter @tcnystcrrk <3


End file.
